Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) confiscated a firearm found stuffed inside a raw baking hen on Monday.
TSA officials say the weapon was discovered when a female passenger bound for Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (PAP) attempted to pass through the security checkpoint at FLL. TSA officers spotted the firearm on the x-ray machine and detained the passenger and her poultry.
The Haiti-bound passenger was not permitted to board her flight and was referred to US Customs and Border Protection, according to the Miami Herald.
TSA: Stuffing a Firearm in Your Holiday Bird is a Baste of Time
TSA took to social media on Monday afternoon to make light of a serious situation via their trademark puns and humor.
“We hate to beak it to you here, but stuffing a firearm in your holiday bird for travel is just a baste of time,” read the post from TSA’s “Travel Tips & Dad Joke Hits” (@tsa) account on Instagram. “This idea wasn’t even half-baked; it was raw, greasy, and obviously unsupervised. The only roast happening here is this poor packing choice!”
Federal regulations prohibit carrying firearms in a carry-on bag – with or without raw chicken.
“Feather you like it or not, there are rules for traveling with guns and ammunition,” continued the pun-packed Instagram post. “So, don’t wing it; roost over the proper packaging info through the link in our bio.”
2022 on Track to Break Gun-Interception Record
According to TSA statistics, more than 700 guns have been confiscated at airports in Florida so far in 2022. FLL TSA officers have confiscated 120 guns so far this year, making it the second-highest total in Florida. Orlando International Airport (MCO) has seen the highest number of firearm discoveries at 129.
TSA stopped more than 5,000 guns at security checkpoints in 2021. Already in 2022, that number has been surpassed. And with the busy holiday season ahead, it appears likely that last year’s record will be broken.
Passengers who attempt to bring an unloaded firearm through a security checkpoint could face fines of up to $2,475. Penalties jump to between $3,000 and $10,000 for loaded firearms. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $13,910. Penalties can change based on factors such as whether the safety is on or if the passenger makes an obvious attempt to conceal the weapon.
